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Ganesha with His Consorts
Identification: Ganesha, known by a variety of names, is a deity within the Hindu Pantheon. A defining physical trait common throughout depictions of Ganesha is the elephant head. Ganesha is known as the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences, as well as the divine being of intellect and wisdom. 2 Ganesha is honored at the beginning of Hindu rituals and ceremonies, as he is the god of beginnings. 3 Within some traditions, Ganesha is identified as the supreme deity, whereas sometimes he is the restored son of Parvati and Shiva. 2 As for the consorts of Ganesha, there are various patterns present within understandings and representations of them. One of which is Ganesha existing as a Brahamacarin who has no consorts. 5 Although this is clearly not the depiction given by the statue. Another tradition connects Ganesha with intellect, spiritual power, and prosperity with each of these qualities being personifies as a goddess and one of Ganesha’s wives. 6 Another tradition connects Ganesha with Sarasvati the goddess of culture and the arts. The most widely accepted tradition holds Ganesha’s consorts as his Shakti. Shakti is the personification of Ganesha’s creative energy. 5 The variations with Ganesha’s consorts is often attributed to regional variations within beliefs throughout India, the time period of the representation, and the specific tradition of the society. 6 Technical Evaluation: This statue of Ganesha with His Consorts came from Eastern Rajasthan India in the early 11th century. It is composed by Sandstone and weighs 352 kg. with a size of 13.2 x 76 x 40.5 cm. It is currently owned by the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston Massachusetts. It was acquired by the museum in 1989 from the Spink and Son auction house. 1 Local Historical Context: This statue was made at the end of the Regional Kingdoms period in Medieval India. Specifically, within the region of Rajasthan, the creation of this statue coincided with the end of the period of Gurjar incursions. The Gurjars were pastoralist agrarian peoples who had been making incursions into Northern India for 500 years, ending during the 11th century. 7 The region of Rajasthan was, throughout the 11th Century under the governance of the Gurjar people. The region itself was a part of the Kalachuri Chedi. These were the dynastic rulers of a series of provinces throughout India including Rajasthan. 4 World Historical Significance: The statue of “Ganesha and His Consorts” comes at a point of change on the Indian subcontinent. For hundreds, to thousands, of years preceding the 11th Century various Vedic traditions had been the predominant throughout the regions surrounding Rajasthan. The depiction of Ganesha, a prominent Vedic deity illustrates the importance of this faith to the region. 4 During, and after the 11th Century, major Islamic incursions into India began and established a permanent place for Muslim people and faith in and around the region of Rajasthan. 8 Today the region is a major point of intersections between modern traditions of Islamic theology and Hindu Theology. The statue of Ganesha and his consorts signifies this point of transition as Rajasthan came to be a multiethnic and multifaith region. Bibliography: 1. “Ganesha with His Consorts.” Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 4 May 2015, www.mfa.org/collections/object/ganesha-with-his-consorts-150133. 2. , Yuvraj (1999). Gaņeśa: Unravelling An Enigma. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.ISBN 81-208-1413-4. 3. Brown, Robert (1991). Ganesh: Studies of an Asian God. Albany: State University of New York.ISBN 0-7914-0657-1. 4. Ramachandra Rao, S.K. (1992), The Compendium on Gaṇeśa, Delhi: Sri Satguru Publications, ISBN 8170308283 5. Saraswati, Swami Tattvavidananda (2004), Gaṇapati Upaniṣad, Delhi: D.K. Printworld Ltd.,ISBN 8124602654 6. Heras, H. (1972), The Problem of Ganapati, Delhi: Indological Book House Brown, Robert (1991), Ganesh: Studies of an Asian God, Albany: State University of New York,ISBN 0791406571 7. Gavin D. Flood (1996). An Introduction to Hinduism. Cambridge University Press. pp. 14–18, 110–113. ISBN 978-0521438780. 8. Thapan, Anita Raina (1997). Understanding Gaṇapati: Insights into the Dynamics of a Cult. New Delhi: Manohar Publishers. ISBN 8173041954.